Electrostatic induction voltage measuring device



Nov. 17, 1953 T. A. RICH r-:TAL

ELECTROSTATIC INDUCTION VOLTAGE MEASURING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. ll, 1949 Ihverwtovs Theodore AJQCH, William JPIOPIOC K,

Their Attorney.

Nov. 17, 1953 T. A. RICH ETAI. 2,659,864

ELECTROSTATIC INDUCTION VOLTAGE MEASURING DEVICE Filed Feb. 1l, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pfg/5.

Inventors: TheolheA. Kczh, Wil IiamlMorjlocK,

Their'i Attorney.

Patented Nov. 17, 1953 omer,

LEGTRSATIC jINDUcTIo'N" yoLTA'oLL MEASURING DEVICE- nires that 'resistance Y. altern tingvol-tages;- but in l m thehigh voltage circuit, thus-leserringtdngeroF'supply'ing onlyl 'Ihf measurement ima con-1A m'asureiz` of direct- "avanties willi-appear asuf Avv15 for" admitting light bodint f he?4 interi-tin`. Where` the samel f more2" thangrorie ligure; ofifthe';`

1t s represented-fin eachxcas'erbyA thevider with"imam@g1V threads, asshowfr, sothat the; l plug?` car1'1be4 asilyreinvedfanci'freplaced-i A# conductive inner 'member or'. rode 5:- extendst lengthwise alongftheaxisuoffttube; I anclissup'fV po'rtecl` unisi-position. and insulated fromfA the l tribe bylinsul'astingfbeads f6: At fits" endynearest' fth' arged end-aofitub'e I, rod 5: preferably hasian enlar'gedndameter which may `5 form` iai platelikez/surfacei 1- facingf: outwardthrough itl'i'e?opening'.`r

A third conductive? men-iberforf plate 8 al: metal is -to provide uc'rr'a dvi'dewo"platafforzeamplegfis'1.1argerrthanandfacesfithef opening at. :the:- :angeci :1 end`v of@ the? tubeir; Platen*` 8 is held in positionfrelative tofthectubefby arin'gf 9 of insulating material, so that the plate is insulated from lootnmthe.. tnlqe/1 and the rod. A threaded hole l0 n'a'y ldepro'fded in the plate for the attachment of probes, as hereinafter described in connection with Fig. 6.

Built into plug 4, as shown, is a push-button switch II. When the button is pressed to close switch II, rod 5 is electrically connected to tube I. Spring I2 opens the switch and breaks the connection when the pressure is released.

A lead I3, which may terminate in an alligator clip I4, is attached to tube I as shown. Protective insulation I5 may be provided about the tube to reduce the danger of accidental shorts across the high voltage to be measured. A screw I6 may be provided which extends through the side of tube I toward rod 3. This provides a convenient means for adjusting the capacitance between the tube and the rod for calibration purposes, as hereinafter explained.

Refer now to Fig. 3, which schematically illustrates use of the device. Suppose that a high direct voltage exists between a wire ground terminal I8, which may be respective parts of a high-voltage, high-impedance electric circuit, and that it is desired to measure this voltage. Clip I4 is attached to the ground terminal, as shown, and then plate 8 is brought into contact with wire I'I. While plate B is in contact with the wire, push-button switch II is pressed momentarily and then released. Plate 8 is now removed from the wire and touched against clip I4, or any other convenient ground point, todischarge the high potential to which the plate was charged by contact with the high voltage wire. The device may then be removed and the voltage read at the operators convenience, hours later if so desired, as hereinafter explained.

To understand the operation of the device, assume that clip I4 is connected to ground and that plate 8 is in contact with a conductor at a high potential, 20,00 volts for example. When push-button switch I I is closed, rod 5 is connected to tube I, which in turn is connected to ground through lead I3, so that both tube I and rod 5 are at ground potential. But plate 8, in

contact with the high voltage conductor, is at a 1 potential of 20,000 volts; and as a result there is a strong electric eld between plate 8 and surface 'I at the top of rod 5. Electrostatic induction of this eld causes the accumulation of an electric charge on the lower surface of plate 8, and an opposite charge on upper surface 'I of rod 5. The amounts of these charges can be computed if the capacitances involved are known. Assuming a potential difference of kv. and a capacitance between rod 5 and plate 8 of .05 micromicrofarads, the charge accumulated on rod 5 is 20,000 1000 micromicrocoulombs.

When switch II is opened, everything remains the same until plate 8 is removed from contact with the high voltage conductor and is brought into contact with clip I4, or some other ground connection. Then the charge on plate 8 escapes and plate 8 assumes ground potential. When this happens, the charge which remains trapped on rod 5 produces a voltage between the rod and tube I. The value of this voltage is determined by the amount of the charge and by the combined capacitance from rod 5 to tube I and to plate 8. 1f the combined capacitance is 10 micromicrofarads, and the charge is 1000 micromicrocoulombs as previously computed, then the voltage between rod 5 and tube I is II and through window 25.

This voltage is of a very convenient magnitude to measure, in contrast to the dangerous and hard-to-measure 20,000 volts in the high voltage circuit,

Screw I6 provides means for making small changes in the capacitance between tube I and rod 5, and thus provides a means for Calibrating the device. When screw I6 is moved closer to the rod, the capacitance between tube and rod is increased, and the voltage between rod and tube corresponding to a given measured voltage is reduced. The converse is true when screw iB is moved farther away from rod 5. After calibration, a seal may be placed over the head of the screw to hold it in position.

An electrometer or electrostatic voltmeter provides a good means for measuring voltage between rod 5 and tube I. A simple form of such an electrometer is shown schematically in Fig. 1. Plug 4 is removed from the induction device and the bottom of tube I is inserted in wel I9 of the electrometer. In the well is a button 20 which makes contact with rod 5, as shown, and a spring 2I which insures good contact between tube I and wall 22 of the electrometer.

Connected to buttonv20 is the electrometer moving element 22, and a stationary plate 24. Element 23 may, for example, be a leaf of metal foil, such as gold leaf, or metal plated quartz bre. Element 23 swings away from stationary plate 24 by an amount which depends upon the voltage between button 20 and the wall of the electrometer. An indication of the voltage is obtained by observing the position of element 23 A light source 25 may be provided to supply a small beam of light, represented by a broken line on the drawing, which is reflected by element 23 to scale 2'I, which may be calibrated in terms of the high voltage measured by the device.

For greater accuracy, more complicated electrometers known in the art may be employed, such as those adapted for use with pencil-type radiation dosimeters.

The range of voltages which may be measured by the device depends upon the ratio of the capacitance between rod 5 and plate 8 and the combined capacitance between rod 5 and tube I and plate 8. Therefore, the range of the instrument may be changed by changing either the capacitance between the rod and the plate, or the capacitance between the rod and the tube. Screw lit provides one means for making small changes in the capacitance ratio. Other ways of changing the ratio include changing the distance between plate 8 and rod 5, changing the area of either plate 8 or the top surface 'i of the rod, using a different dielectric material between the plate and the rod or between the rod and the tube--or example a material having a dielectric constant substantially different from that of air could be inserted in the space between plate 8 and rod 5, adding a capacitor between the rod and the tube, moving the rod in or out relative to the opening at the flanged end of the tube, and partially shielding the rod from the plate by placing a masking member over part of the opening.

Different ranges of voltages can be covered by making separate devices for each range; or by making a single device having interchangeable heads, or an adjustable head, to provide different capacitance ratios. Several interchangeable or adjustable heads are described in Figs. 5, 15, 16, and 17-20. With a number of devices or interchangeablef.vl hea-ds# respectively: 'coveriirig.;` seriesf offvoltage fi ranges; Iit- `:iis: possible to inea ure voltages from a few volts to manyfkilovoltsu.

Itihas' .be'enfnoted 'that the inner member or rod`f5f: is fcapacitively linked to r. outer: ymeinber'for tube lf and'itopl'ate 8.. lItlis imporinaritlthatthef` inner member i be shielded fromfother: capacitive linkages.: .Forfexample, suppose; tha'tvvlfienv 'plate i 811 .is `in "contact: with wire I1?. andi lpush-buttonswitchf vI I. is.,vr closed, there. should' befcapacitive linkage between sorn'e'other` part ofthe high volt-'1 age-circuit and rod' 5. 'SuchalinkagefWouldpro- A duce.sa.charge on irod 5 additional tothechar-"ge\ produced by the linkage 'between .thehrodff and" plate1:8,rand the'additional` charge would cause l ancerror 'in' the voltage:indicated;1v To prevent* undesirable linkages; the 'outerm'emberf'and tlrev` conductive plate arearranged so v'that tgether they 'substantially surround"thev inner mein-be' Byfproviding ai flange about-*the `op'elii'ng in tube' Land-by having plate :8f facingA and' larger than7 the opening. undesirable linkageswithrod 5 arel substantially eliminated.

Refernow to Figs. 5 and 6 ,I Which'showan eine bodiment offtheinv'lention havingthe complete instrument comprising-the induction device andf theelectrometer incorporated in asingle 'strueture 4A conductive tube 28', an inner memberrr rodv 29, and a conductive*` plate tperformfthe same` functions as corresponding parts `:of the* induction device ypreviously described. Inwardly extending i flange 3l supplies shieldingaction `in thefsam'e manner as the outwardly-extending"V1 flange of the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.v The4 inwardly extending flange construction `rnaksfor a larger tube, which provides' more space for the electrometer. l

Push-button switch 32,1 when l closed;- connects may. be constructed so thatf'it' can* be screwed" into the tube by an adjustable amount'to adjust" thecapacitancebetween the rodu andfthe tuberi" for calibration` purposes. This- `adjustment Inairv` bev made immediately after manufacture',`v andU tween theplateand a desiredpar't `o'ffthe higlllf so-that other-'probesemay be substituted; orrthe device may be used Without a probe Simply" touching the plate itselfY to the high' voltagecire cuit.- I The-additionA- ofl the probe does'n'otfaff ct*l the calibration of theV instrument, sincethercon.. ductive' plate shields' the probe from any appre ciable capacitive' coupling With the` inner' merrieu bert In thisembodiment; lightmustmberadniitted'l toilluminate the electrometer. Thisf may'Y be doney by-providing a transparent Window^"3`5f the-centerof plate 3U.' Preferably, such ar wine dow is made'of electrically conductive plasticVV materiakso that the presence of theWiiidovvdoesv not' diminish the electrostatic yshielding effec'zt-oi"n the plate. They enlargedlend 36iof`iroid29jhas cut--avvay segment, andj each offtheunsulat g" beads 3'!v is providedfwith a hole 38tper1n the-passage of light from the* Window' to thel 75*V electrometer.' The sli'ape ofenlarge'cly end 36`l`o'f the: rod is best illustrated inF'ig. 7.

*accurately ealibrat saine 1 measurement tion'of this element indicates the voltagg'ebetvve4 n rod29 and tube`28', and hence the voltage -ml'e'a's'fi uredv byy the .iilstill-nient.` Element 39 i'sv illumilens :41. vScalellll'may be a sheet of transparent* material on which vsuitable "voltage 'units are prnted The scaletisvbe'stishown iniFig'. 8. l The" scale and. image .are Aviewed simultaneously throughian eyepiee'ce including lens 42.

The head-.of Vthe1in's/trum'eifl'ttmay be madead* justabl'ei'isoY that-several ranges of voltage 'can be measured-5 Pl'atefSiIl-"is att'ahedf tothe top;V

of tube 28, so that the cap screws on'the open end `of the tube. Withf thslthreaded engagement. of the parts, the ldistane 'and hence th capaci;-

'inrFigt 9.` The scale may-110e on a 'separateinen'i-- ber as shown,l oi' maybe inscribed -n the side'of tube 2.8 S0216 Htm'ye multiplyinglfactors by cap'A asl shown; or- Athe botton'l of thel cap may. be useclxasr. a reference. Vertical linesf ilihm'ay also 1 ting.

Asean examplefofnvv this Works; suppcsefthat a voltage of 8000lvltsl=islt be"rneasiireda- Capi tsfr'nay beiturnedfuntil'- referencefline mais aligned'` with the mark numbered' 2- en' scale 44S When the. mea-'surement is-v ma'dei, if vthe instrument is correct=fya1ue`of lS 1E ovelts: lSuppose that the' aezis new separated frofnircdfze byragreater dis-.- tanc'efsuch thaethe capacitance betweerlfthe-f c piateandthe rod approximately.nalrasfmuen as-y be'crez i 'Iherefere-cnly half asmuchcharge isindueed on .rcdiewnen the measurement'is made f image scale 4t# appears errante l elec'tro'rheter l felenent lifray constriieted in a number oftva'ys. A preferred` form 'is illus-Tl element 39 is a thin quartaflber or other conduce ti fibre, ahdtatibaryelement. 'ViSa. 100D of stifii/ire. The upperend oflthequartz fiber is l attachent()- the Wire, butthe lower., end is free.'y *5tol sWingoutward .inl response `to velectrostaticl and tube 2S, the electrostatic forces pull the lower l end-,ofthe quartz fibeitto'ward the' adjacent- Wall ot-v thef tube. The`=`station`ary loop; el; beingfatu,A 'f thefsaniepotential vas fthe#ber,'.shieldssiitv'frome electrostatic forees'fwh'iehi would tend-J topull their The"A distance er? end 'of` liber 39 strings away vff'on v riberin t opposite direction.

Stau use@ tray a fanaticacf4 they-volta heave@ rea zsfand@ tute 2t.-

image formedf=--`- be marked I with suitable I 'which Y'scale 40"shouldb lmultipie'dlto indieateth 'voltager'nasured AA reference line 45 may be inscribed around the" .tue imagecfa portion of 11 ite-formed at tneon screen by lens 4l is that of a small portion at 'the bottom of nbre 39.

vThis embodiment of the invention is very handy to use, since it can be made about the size of-,a large fountain pen, suitable to be carried about in the pocket. To measure a voltage, clip 48 is attached to ground and probe 34 is brought into contact with the high voltage circuit. Pushbutton switch 32 is pressed momentarily, and released. Probe 34 is then touched to clip 58, and the reading is made by pointing the head of the instrument towards the light and observing scale 40 and the image thereon through lens 52. To make reading easy, the optical system is arranged so that the movement of the image is greater than the movement of electrometer element 39, and so that both the image and the scale are magnied by lens 42.

For certain measurements, it may be convenient to have special probes. probe which may be made rather long to reach relatively inaccessible places. Tip 49 of the probe is connected by conductive shaft 50 to the base 5l, which is threaded to screw into the threaded hole I B in plate 8, Fig. 1, or in plate 30, Fig. 5. Shaft 50 may be covered with a heavy sheath of insulation 52 to reduce the possibility of the probe shortcircuiting parts of the high voltage circuit through accidental contacts.

Fig. l2 shows a probe similar to the one shown in Fig. 1l, except that the probe shown in Fig. 12 is curved to reach into places not readily acces sible with a straight probe.

If the circuit in which direct voltage is to be measured also has a substantially large component of alternating voltage, an erroneous reading may be obtained, since the reading will depend somewhat upon the phase position of the alternating voltage cycle during which switch 52 is closed and opened. This difliculty may be reduced by using a probe of the type shown in Fig. 13. This probe comprises a tip 53, a conductive shaft 54, a base 55, threaded to screw into the conductive plate of the induction device and an insulating sheath 56 similar to those in the probes previously described. Between the tip and the base is a resistor 51, which preferably has a resistance value in the order of several megohms. is. held closed for a longer interval than would otherwise be necessary, so that the capacitance between the conductive plate and the inner member has ample opportunity to charge up to the full D.C. voltage measured. As to the A.C. voltage, the instrument will act as a voltage divider with a substantial part of the A.C. voltage drop occurring across resistor 5l. This greatly reduces the undesired effects of the A.C. voltage.

A probe of the type shown in Fig. 13 may also be useful even when no alternating voltages are present; for example, when the circuit in which voltage is to be measured is highly inductive, so that the capacitance of the measuring device could cause undesirable transients when suddenly placed across the circuit.

Refer now to Fig. 14, which shows an alternate construction for admitting light to illuminate the electrometer. This construction eliminates the necessity for a window in the conductive plate. Instead, a window 58 is provided in the side of the conductive tube, and light admitted through this window is reiiected to the electrometer by a small mirror 59. Preferably, window 58 Fig. l1 shows a When this probe is used, switch 32 is 4made of conductive plastic to provide a shield against undesired capacitive linkages with the inner member.

Refer now to Fig. 15, which shows an alternate adjustable head. In this head, flange 60 is not a part of conductive tube 6|, but instead is mechanically connected to insulating cap 62 and turns with the cap. However, the threaded connection between the cap and the tube is of metal, so that the flange is electrically connected to the tube and thus is always at ground potential. Conductive plate 63 is attached to the top of the cap, and is insulated from flange B0, tube 6|, and inner member 64. W'hen the cap is turned, the distance between flange 50 and inner member 64 is changed, which changes the capacitance between the inner member and plate 63. Since the electric field produced by the high potential of the plate decreases rapidly in strength with increased distance below the opening, very large changes in capacitance between plate 63 and rod 64 are possible with this type head. Protective insulation may extend over the top of plate 63, as shown, so that only the probe can contact the high voltage circuit. This reduces the danger of accidental shorts.

Fig. 16 shows a similar head of non-adjustable type. Cap 65 is screwed all the way down on tube 66, so that flange 61 is a fixed distance from inner member 68, depending upon the dimensions of the cap. Different voltage ranges are obtained by providing caps having different dimensions, one for each voltage range to be covered, and interchanging the caps when it is desired to change ranges.

Refer now to Figs. 17 to 20, which show another adjustable head. In this head cap 69 may be turned relative to conductive tube 10, but it does not move axially. Hence there is no change in spacing between plate "Il, flange '12, and inner member 13. A change in capacitance is obtained by interposing a masking member 'I4 by an adjustable amount between plate 1| and the inner member. Masking member 'I4 is made of a conductive material such as metal, and slides within a groove in flange 12 with which it is in electrical contact. Masking member 12 thus covers a greater or lesser portion of the opening at the flanged end of tube 'l0 depending upon its position. Attached to the masking member is a pin 15 which engages a spiral groove cut into a disk 16, which is attached to and turns with cap 69. As the cap is turned, disk 'I6 moves relative to flange 'I2 and mask '14, and thus forces the mask outward or inward over the opening by the action of spiral groove '11 on pin 15.

Refer now to Fig. 21, which shows another embodiment of the invention useful for measuring low and moderately high voltages. Probe 18 is attached to a lead '19, so that other parts of the apparatus do not have to be brought near the high voltage circuit. The disadvantage of this form is that when the voltages to be encountered become high, the amount of insulation required for safety makes lead 'I9 bulky. A first conductive member or plate performs the same function as conductive plates in the other embodiments described, while a conductive box 8l acts as the conductive tube. Box 8| completely surrounds the other parts of the induction device, so that very good shielding from undesired capacitive linkages is obtained. The second or inner conductive member may be a plate 82 positioned between plate 80 and the inner surface of the box. Insulating rings 83 and 84 support the various and having a movable conductive element designed to contact said rod which when closed connects said rod and said tube, and a screw extending through the side of the tube towards the rod for adjusting the capacitance between the rod and the tube.

' 10. An electrostatic induction voltage measuring device comprising a conductive tube substantially closed at one end, a conductive plate disposed adjacent the open end of said tube and capacitively linked thereto, and an inner conductive member within said tube all insulated from one another, a switch which when closed connects said inner member and said tube, and an electrostatic voltmeter built into the lower end of said tube and responsive to voltage between the inner conductive member and the tube. ll. An electrostatic induction voltage measuringdevice comprising a conductive tube, a conductiveplate `disposed adjacent an open end of said tube and capacitively linked thereto, and an inner conductive member wholly within said tube all insulated from one another, a switch which` when closed connects said inner member and said tube, an electrostatic voltmeter movable element positioned wholly within said tube and connected to said inner member, and an optical system and scale for observing the position of saidmovable element.

l2. An electrostatic induction Vvoltage measuring device comprising a conductive tube having a flange about-an opening at one of its ends, a conductive rod having an enlarged diameter at one of its ends, means to support said rod wholly withirr'and insulated from said tube with the enlarged endof the rod nearest the opening at theY flanged end of the tube, a conductive plate largerY than and facing the opening at the flanged endof the tube, means to hold said plate in position relative to said tube and insulated from both the tube andthe rod, a switch which when closed connects said rod and said tube, a conductive fibre attached to said rod to form the movable element of an electrostatic voltmeter responsive to voltage between the rod and the tube, means yto admit light into the tube to illuminate said libre, a scale, and an optical lens system to image a portion of the fibre on the scale and to provide means for viewing the image and the scale. Y f

13. A portable electrostatic induction device comprisingVY a conductive plate, an outer conductive member, and an inner conductive member all insulated from one another, said-plate and outer member together substantially surrounding said inner member on all sides so that the inner member is capacitively linked with each and is shielded from other capacitive linkages, a switch mounted on said outer member and having a movable conductive element designed to contact said inner member which when closed connects said inner and outer members, and a conductive probe connectable to said plate.

14. A device as in claim 13 in which the probe includes a tip, a base connectable to the conductive plate, and a resistor between said tip and said base.

15. The combination in an electrostatic induction device of a conductive tube, an inner conductive member within said tube and insulated therefrom, a switch which when closed connects said inner member and said tube, a cap which screws on an open end of said tube, and a conductive plate attached to the top of said cap and insulated fromV both the tube and the inner meml?. ber, so that the distance and the capacitance between said plate and said inner member are varied by turning the cap relative to the tube.

16. An electrostatic induction device comprising a conductive tube having a flange about an opening at one of its ends, a conductive rod having an enlarged diameter at one of its ends, means to support said rod within and insulated from said tube with the enlarged end of the rod nearest the opening at the flanged end of the tube, a switch which when closed connects said rod and said tube, a cap which screws on the anged end of the tube, and a conductive plate attached to the top of said cap and insulated from both the tube and the rod, so that the distance and the capacitance between said plate and said rod are varied by turning the cap relative to the tube.

17. A portable electrostatic induction device comprising a conductive tube, an inner conductive member within said tube and insulated therefrom, a switch mounted on said conductive tube and having a movable conductive element designed to selectively contact said inner member which when closed connects said rod and said tube, a cap which screws on an open end of said tube, a conductive plate attached to the top of said cap and insulated yfrom both the tube and the inner member, and a conductive flange within said cap between said plate and said tube, said flange being mechanically connected to turn with the cap and electrically connected to the tube, so that the distance between the inner member and .the flange and the capacitance between the inner member and the plate are varied by turning the cap relative to the tube.

18. A portable electrostatic induction device comprising a conductive tube, a conductive inner member within said tube and insulated therefrom, a switch mounted on Vsaid conductive tube and having a movable conductive element designed to selectively contact said inner member which when closed connects said inner member and said tube, a conductive plate facing an open end of said tube and insulated from both the tube and the inner member, a masking member, and means to interpose said masking member between said plate and said inner member by an adjustable amount.

19. A portable electrostatic induction voltage measuring device comprising a conductive box, a first conductive member wholly within the box and insulated therefrom, a second conductive member between said rst member and a side of the box and insulated from both, a lead connected to said rst member and extending outside the box, a probe connected to said lead, a switch mounted on said box and having a movable conductive element designed to selectively -contact said second conductive member which when closed connects said second member and said box,

and means responsive to voltage between said 13 on said outer hollow member and having a mov- Number able conductive element Idesigned to yContact said 2,022,117 inner member for selectively connecting said 2,178,954 inner member to sai-d outer hollow member. 2,401,344 THEODORE ALFRED RICH. 5 2,468,125 WILLIAM J. MORLOCK. 2,482,016 2,500,725 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,531,509 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,536,991 Number Name Date 10 999,800 Kintner Aug. 8, 1911 Number 1,809,285 Peters June 9, 1931 565,461

Name Date Lauritsen Nov. 26, 1935 Dehmel NOV. 7, 1939 Espley June 6, 1946 Silver Apr. 26, 1949 McCoy Sept. 13, 1949 West Mar. 14, 1950 Bulgin Nov. 28, 1950 Wollan et al Jan. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Nov. 10, 1944 

